The damning parliamentary report comes only three years after a scandal over military shortages that saw German troops forced to use broomsticks instead of guns on a Nato training exercise.

At the time Mrs Merkel’s government pledged to address the shortages, but Mr Bartels said those promises had not materialised.

“The pledged turnaround in personnel, equipment and financing is to be welcomed, but pledges alone do not make anything better,” he said.

“What I missed in the coalition agreement were concrete proposals on how the planned incrase from 185,000 troops to 200,000 is to be financed.”

Mr Bartels is a former MP appointed by the German parliament to represent the interests of the military. Under measures in postwar Germany’s constitution drafted to prevent any repeat of the abuses of the Nazi era, the armed forces are directly commanded by parliament.

The hard-hitting report was seen as a direct attack on the current defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, who is said to be unpopular with troops.

Ms von der Leyen has presided over a series of shortage scandals during her time at the defence ministry, at the same time as introducing initiatives such as creches and flexible working hours for soldiers.

Once seen as a potential successor to Mrs Merkel, Ms von der Leyen has fallen back in the pecking order. Mrs Merkel is said to want to keep her on as defence minister in an imminent reshuffle, but her hand may be forced by the latest shortages.